Jaipur (PTI): The general manager of the National Agriculture Cooperative Federation of India in Rajasthan, Subhash Singh, and a Delhi-based businessman were arrested by the state anti-corruption bureau for allegedly misappropriating funds worth several lakhs.

Singh and Gajendra Jha were arrested on Sunday for misappropriating funds meant for procurement of mustard after raids were conducted by bureau officials at their offices and residences, the deputy inspector-general (anti-corruption bureau), Upendra Singh said.

Rs 20 lakh in cash, gold and jewellery and documents relating to the purchase of mustard were seized, sources said.

Raids were also conducted at the residences and business establishments of 11 people involved in the procurement of mustard in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, the sources said.

Plea against CEC quashed

New Delhi (PTI): Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the appointment of B.B. Tandon as chief election commissioner over his reported “casteist” remarks.

L.V. Saptharishi, the special election observer in Chhapra during the Lok Sabha elections, had said Tandon and election commissioner N. Gopalaswamy had made derogatory remarks against the Yadav community.

Justice Gita Mittal declined to entertain a petition filed by the All India Yadav Mahasabha, saying it was “misconceived and premature”.

The judge held that the veracity of the letter by Saptharishi could not be ascertained on the basis of newspaper reports under Article 226.

The court added since the Centre has initiated an inquiry and taken steps to ascertain the veracity of the allegations, any judicial interference would have a bearing on the probe.

The court, however, permitted the petitioner to file a fresh writ if it felt aggrieved by the inquiry report.

The Mahasabha’s counsel, Anand Yadav and Pravin Chandra, have been asked to file an affidavit disclosing the source of Saptharishi’s letter to the Union law minister.

UK tourist in abuse cry

Ajmer (PTI): A man has been arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a woman British tourist at a restaurant in Pushkar.

Manoj was arrested on Saturday after Cleeper Naple complained to police about “obscene behaviour” during a body massage session. A case has been registered.

Chenab suicide

Jammu (PTI): A 20-year-old girl committed suicide by jumping into the Chenab river in Doda district. Sanju Devi, a resident of Sawni village, left behind a suicide note citing prolonged illness for the suicide as she did not want to be a liability on her poor parents. Sanju jumped into the river from Jaiswal bridge on the Srinagar-Jammu highway near Ramban. Police found a sandal, a chain and other belongings along with the suicide note.

Taj PIL dismissed

Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has dismissed a PIL which claimed that the Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple and sought a directive to the Centre to conduct a survey to ascertain the monument’s age. Amar Nath Mishra, a social worker and religious preacher, claimed that the Taj Mahal had been built by a Hindu king, Parmar Dev, in 1195-96.

Cheats booked

Mumbai (PTI): Three customers of a Dadar bank were booked for cheating it of Rs 26.55 lakh by taking a loan using forged documents. The manager of Saraswat Cooperative Bank lodged a complaint against Ashok Redekar, Seema Gandhi and Ashok Reddy. The manager alleged that the trio had jointly taken a housing loan last year using forged documents and had also encashed the bank pay order by opening a bogus account in another bank.

Land for shrine

Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Centre has permitted the state to acquire 12.675 hectares of forest land from the Periyar tiger reserve to develop facilities for pilgrims of the Sabarimala shrine, Kerala minister for tourism and devaswom K.C. Venugopal said.

Top cop Kiran Bedi has been conferred a honorary law doctorate by City University of New York’s School of Law for her “humanitarian approach to prison reforms and policing”.